


Four Times Dustin Didn't Say 'Dude' And One Time He Did

by defeatedbyabridge



Category: Power Rangers Mystic Force, Power Rangers Ninja Storm, Power Rangers Time Force
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-04
Updated: 2014-06-04
Packaged: 2018-02-03 09:30:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1739732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/defeatedbyabridge/pseuds/defeatedbyabridge
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's kind of like "Dude or No Dude" with the briefcases and stuff? No?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Four Times Dustin Didn't Say 'Dude' And One Time He Did

**1\. Hunter.**

"Four letters, something 'a' something something, chap or fellow," Hunter muttered to himself from the couch. 

Dustin emerged from the kitchen, shirtless, licking a spoonful of cake batter. He had chocolate frosting smeared across his forehead. "Cake?"

"No, that doesn't work, doofus. Yeah, it fits but it's not right for the clue," Hunter said, rolling his eyes, but then he took in just what Dustin was doing and his expression brightened. "You're cooking?"

"That's what I said," Dustin responded patiently. "Cake. You want some, or not?"

"Oh. Yeah, please." 

Dustin sauntered over, took the newspaper and plopped himself in Hunter's lap. "I'll get you some in a minute." He kissed Hunter lingeringly, tasting of sugar (nothing new for Dustin), then held the spoon out for Hunter to lick while he looked at the crossword. "Hey, since when does 'under' start with an 'a'?" 

"Dude," Hunter said with relief, then he grabbed the newspaper off Dustin again, scrubbed out the 'a' and replaced it with 'u'. "Oh! 'dude'!" 

**2\. Tori.**

"You did great, Tori," Shane told her, grinning, as she planted her surfboard in the sand. He shaded his eyes with one hand, and lifted the other to high-five her. "Though I've never seen you eat quite so much sand before. Taste good?"

"Ha ha ha," Tori answered, very much on her dignity. She waved her little golden trophy at him. "Second place, Shane. I've never gone beyond fifth in this round before. Eat THAT." 

Shane smirked. "Yeah, yeah, whatever." He let the smirk drop, and grabbed her surfboard. "But seriously, well done." 

"Thanks!" 

They walked along in companionable silence for a while, until Shane clicked his fingers and pointed at her. "Oh, where's Waldo? --hey, that'd make a good picture book." 

"You're hilarious. My aunt and uncle are in town and my cousin needed watching. He had some errands to run, so he took her with him. He's -- right here. Hey, Dustin, thanks!" 

Dustin galumphed up to them, with Alice in tow. Alice had two little plaits and icecream daubed on her cheek. 

He kissed Tori on the cheek. "No prob! We went to the icecream parlour, and the pet store. And then we did things Alice wanted to do." 

Alice giggled. 

Shane folded his arms and gave them both an outraged look. "Hey, what's wrong with me, Tor'? I could've watched Alice for you. Is it 'cos he's your booooyfriend now?" 

"No, it's because he's the responsible one out of you two. The last time YOU babysat, things didn't go well."

Dustin laughed, picking up Alice as they came to the road. He slung her onto his shoulders, as she murmured something solemn into his hair about checking both ways before they crossed. 

"It was only one firetruck! You TOLD her?" Shane asked, poking Dustin lightly in the ribs. Dustin looked both ways and headed over the road to Tori's van. 

"She's my girlfriend, man."

Shane shook his head, playing the wounded friend role as strongly as he could. Even though he knew he had no hope with this crowd. "Dude," he sighed. 

**3\. Shane.**

"I love you, Dustin, dude!"

"I love you, Shane, dude!"

"Let's kiss!"

"Right here in Ninja Ops so Cam can't get any work done at all!" 

"That's right, Dustin, dude, 'cos while he's awesome and stuff, he's not as totally awesome as we are with our ten word vocabularies! And if we gotta kiss, we gotta kiss, never mind that his work is important and could save our ungrateful butts!" 

"C'mere, you big sex machine!" 

Cam jumped as Dustin came yawning down the stairs into Ninja Ops. "Have you seen Shane? Hey, you all right, Cam? You look kinda weird."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, Dustin, don't worry about me," Cam said hastily, going back to his screen. "No, I have no idea where Shane is." 

**4\. Chip.**

Chip sank to his knees as he took in the majesty in the small cardboard box in front of him. "You mean you have issue twelve of 'Unguarded Mirror' as well as the entire print run of 'Lost in Cheese'? Dude. You really are the perfect boyfriend." 

Dustin grinned as he started unpacking the box from under his bed. "You're pretty good yourself, y'know. I never would've even known about 'Blood Fairy -- The Last Reckoning' except for you. Or peanut butter and mustard sandwiches."

**5\. Trip & Katie.**

"It'll be okay," Trip said, instantly drawing Dustin into a hug. Dustin shuddered against him, then eventually managed to unclench himself and hug Trip in return. He felt a third hand rubbing his back, and wondered briefly if Xybrians had an optional extra limb attachment, but then realised it was probably Katie.

"I'm sorry," he said, when he'd regained some control. "I just... I'm worried about them. I know I'm not the best fighter ever or anything, but I'm part of the team and they NEED me."

"Of course they do, and you seem like a perfectly good fighter," Katie told him firmly. She hauled them both over to the small bench in front of the roses. "C'mon, sit down, okay? Taking a break doesn't really work if we stand up out here the entire time." 

"I'm a better fighter than Shane," Dustin said, trying a grin. "Not Tori, though. She hits HARD." 

"I'll get it, I promise. You're not the first unexpected visitor we've had drop in on us, and we got all the others home. Don't worry, please," Trip said. 

Dustin found Katie's fingers lacing through his. "I know you'll work it out," he said quietly. "And, uh, thanks for this." 

"For what?" Trip asked. He seemed honestly startled.

"Hugs and stuff," Dustin explained, feeling his cheeks starting to flame. "I kind of panic when I can't touch people. I have to hang off my team sometimes, but Shane's just as bad and he hangs off me for comfort, too."

"Oh, me too, seriously," Katie said, laughing. "Sounds like your team's got lots in common with ours."

Trip slipped an arm around Dustin's waist, and Dustin just let himself sit there for a long moment, taking in the scenery. It was a nice little garden behind their building. He had to let himself relax into their closeness, into the warmth of the sun on his face, and let himself believe that it would all be okay. 

"Apart from Eric," Trip said suddenly.

Katie laughed, squeezing Dustin's hand. "Yeah, Eric's not so into hugging. But Jen and Lucas can be persuaded, and Wes is a BIG hugger." 

"Is Eric your sixth?" Dustin asked, perking up. Team theory always fascinated him; the differences as well as the similarities. "Cam's grumpy, too, but he lets people hug him. He just doesn't want anyone to know he doesn't mind about it."

Trip tapped his fingers against his chin. "Hm. That gives me an idea." 

* * *

Trip opened the door to the bedroom and found the corners of his mouth tilting upwards as he realised Dustin had gone to the wrong bed. 

He was fast asleep in the middle of THEIR bed, lying on his stomach. Katie's eyes flickered open from the near side, and she looked at Dustin, then at him, with amusement. "You okay with this?" she murmured. "He was here when I came in. Must've dropped off in about a second after you sent him to sleep." 

"Yes, of course, it's fine," Trip said, grinning. 

He climbed in on the far side, and leaned across Dustin's sleeping form to kiss Katie on the lips. 

Dustin spluttered awake, and mumbled something incoherent. Then he looked up at the two of them and squawked. "Sorry, sorry! I didn't realise!" 

"It's okay," Katie said, stroking his hair. "Go back to sleep." 

"Yeah, I've got what I think'll be the final experiment running," Trip added. "It'll be ready in the morning. We all need some sleep." 

Dustin blinked, then grinned a tentative, wondering kind of grin, as Katie gently slipped an arm under his head, and Trip threw an arm across Dustin so he could hold Katie's hand. 

"Dude," Dustin said happily. "DUDE."


End file.
